Foreign bodies in the eye

The eye often cleans itself of debris with tearing, so try and encourage crying until you are certain the eye cannot remove the object by itself.

Treatment:

Stop the child from rubbing their eyes.
Flush the eye generously with water, and try to keep the child's eyes open during flushing.
Repeat the previous steps until the object is eliminated.
Follow up with a doctor to make sure all debris is gone and the eyes have not been scratched or damaged. Your doctor may evaluate the child for damage by using a special eye drop that fluoresces under a certain type of light; it will help reveal any cuts or scratches in the cornea.

If there is an object embedded in the eye, do not remove it, as this may cause further damage. Instead, cover the eye with an eye shield or gauze and seek prompt medical attention.

Foreign bodies in the ear

Foreign bodies in the ear canal can be anything a child can push into his or her ear. Some of the items that are commonly found in the ear canal include:

Food
Insects
Toys
Buttons
Pieces of crayon
Small batteries

Some objects placed in the ear may not cause symptoms. Other objects, such as food and insects, may cause pain in the ear, redness, or drainage. The hearing may be affected if the object is blocking the ear canal.

The treatment for foreign bodies in the ear is prompt removal of the object by your child’s healthcare provider.

If you think the baby or child has an object in the ear or nose, then call 999 or 112 for emergency help right away.

Do not try to remove the foreign object yourself, as you might push the object in further.
Keep the casualty calm.

Foreign bodies in the nose

Objects that are put into the child’s nose are usually soft things. These would include:

Tissue
Clay
Pieces of toys
Erasers

Sometimes, a foreign body may enter the nose while the child is trying to smell the object.

The most common symptom of a foreign body in the nose is nasal drainage. The drainage appears only on the side of the nose with the object and often has a bad odour. In some cases, the child may also have a bloody nose.

How to I help a baby or child with something in their ears, eyes or nose?

Unii's Paediatric First Aid Journey shares what to do if something's in your child's eye, ear or nose.